Pleat board and clamp assembly



Nov. 16, 1965 R- D. KNIGHT PLEAT BOARD AND CLAMP ASSEMBLY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 16, 1962 INVENTOR Ralph Don Knight K... m. Mww mm ATTORNEY Nov. 16, 1965 R. D. KNIGHT 3,217,952

PLEAT BOARD AND CLAMP ASSEMBLY Filed July 16, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 6

INVENTOR Ralph Don Knight @412? fzw/ ATTORNEY United States Patent T 3,217,952 FLEAT BOARD AND CLAMP ASSEMBLY Ralph Don Knight, 2252 Latham St, Dallas, Tex. inea July 16, 1962, SEE. No. 209,854 1 Claim. (Cl. 223-72) This invention relates to trouser topping and finishing apparatus, and it has particular reference to pleat finishing devices on trouser topping machines, such as described in my co-pending application filed July 16, 1962, and bearing Serial No. 209,855.

The principal object of the invention resides in the provision of a pleat board assembly by which the upper front portions of trousers can be pressed and expertly finished with a minimum of effort and by persons of ordinary skill in the art of dry cleaning articles of wearing apparel.

Under ordinary conditions, and with the use of conventional utility steam presses, the tops, or waist portions, of trousers are difficult to finish so that the fabric is properly smoothed and wrinkle free, and the pleats, if any, are neatly pressed. A prime object of the invention is that of providing an electrically heated pleat board which is capable of being applied to the garment opposite a buck plate against which the fabric is applied while steam is injected therethrough.

A still further object of the invention is that of providing apparatus by which trousers can be finished at a minimum of cost, and with greater facility, thus enabling the operator to economically produce a greater quantity of maximum quality work.

An object of the invention resides in the provision of a highly flexible medium by which trouser topping operations can be performed, affording a mechanism which is simple and economical in design, and capable of easy manipulation so that the pressing operation can be safely and speedily accomplished with maximum efficiency.

Yet another object of the invention resides in the provision of a pleat board assembly by which the garment can be pressed and expertly finished without leaving imprints of such items as pockets, seams, and the like, which sometimes occurs with the use of conventional pressing devices.

Broadly, the invention contemplates the provision of a flexible pleat board which is adapted to be applied to a trouser topping machine by which the upper or waist portions of the garment can be finished while in the form assumed when worn, thus insuring a proper and attractive appearance.

While the foregoing objects are paramount, other and lesser objects will become aparent as the description proceeds, taken in connection with the appended drawings wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational view of the invention shown applied to a trouser topper machine, the latter being illustrated fragmentarily.

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the invention illustrating the pivotal mounting assembly.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view showing the pleat board operatively extending outwardly from the work.

FIGURE 4 is an exploded perspective illustration of the several parts of the invention, and their relationship.

FIGURE 5 is a perspective illustration of the head of a trouser topper machine showing the invention attached thereto, and illustrating, in broken lines, the inoperative position, and

FIGURE 6 is a transverse sectional view, on line 6-6 of FIGURE 2, showing the heating element in the pleat board.

The invention is designed for attachment to a trouser topper machine, generally designated by the numeral it Patented Nov. 16, l fifi in FIGURE 5, and is mounted on each side of the front 11 of the machine to be operated in a vertical plane to press or finish the upper or waist portion of a pair of trousers (not shown) which are arranged over a fabric covered buck plate 12, shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 5, against which the trousers are pressed for steam finishmg.

The pleat board 1.; comprises a metal plate, generally rectangular in form, and curved across its transverse planes. A flange 14 is formed along each opposing edge of the board 13, as best shown in FIGURE 6, and which inclines rearwardly and inwardly at an obtuse angle. The board 13 is perforated, as indicated at 15, and has an electrical heating element 16 lying along its outer convex surface, being retained by a backing plate 17, which is also curved transversely of its longitudinal axis to conform to the pleat board 13, and has obtusely angled flanges 18 formed along each longitudinal edge to conform to the angled flanges 14 whereby the plate 17 is slidably received therebetween, as shown in FIG- URE 6.

The assembled pleat board 13, with its heating element 16 and backing plate 17, is secured to an adapter bracket 1%, which is arranged transversely thereof, and intermediate its ends, in the manner shown in FIGURES 2 and 5. The bracket 19 has flanges 2%} formed along its opposing vertical edges, as apparent in FIGURE 4, and these flanges are secured by screws 21, or other device, to the flanges 14 of the pleat board 13 so that the bracket 19 is spaced outwardly therefrom and has a radius conforming to that of the plate board 13.

The bracket 19 has a pin 22 attached at one end thereto, as by welding, which projects at right angles from the center of the outer surface thereof whereby the pleat board 13 is flexibly attached to one end of a clamp arm 23, as indicated in FIGURE 4. The pin 22 is embraced by a coil compression spring 24 which bears against the arm 23 while the pin 22 extends through an aperture 25 in the lowermost end of the arm 23 and has a sleeve 26 thereon.

The arm 23 is channel-shaped in transverse section, having a right angular flange 27 along each opposing side projecting outwardly. The sleeve 26 is secured by screws 28 to the flanges 27 co-axially of the aperture 25 on the opposite face of the arm 23 from the bracket 19 and is attached to the pin 22 by a key 29 arranged transversely of the sleeve 26 through opposing slots 30 in the inner end thereof. A flexible connection is thus provided between the pleat board 13 and the arm 23.

The opposite end of the arm 23 has a clevis block 31 pivoted thereto by a pin 32 having a bushing 33, and a linkage bar 34 is pivotally connected at one end between the legs of the clevis block 31 by a pin 35 having a bushing 36. A handle 37, having a spindle 38 formed on its fixed end, is attached to the linkage bar 34 by extending its spindle 38 through an aperture 39 therein and through an apertured adjusting block 4i? where it is secured by a key 41 inserted through an aperture 42 in the outer end of the spindle 38.

The arm 23 and the handle 3'7, when assembled in the manner just described, is attached to a pivot block 43 through the adjusting block 443 by a pin 44 and a bushing 45 arranged through apertures 46 in the parallel lugs 47 formed with the discular pivot block 43 and projecting from the outer face thereof. The uppermost end of the arm 23 is pivotally connected between the lugs 47 by a pin 48 arranged through apertures 4-9 therein.

The pivot block 43 is pivotally attached to a mounting or index block 5%, which is also circular in form, and having dimensions similar to that of the pivot block 43, by a bolt 51 which is inserted through a central aperture Q 52 in the pivot block 43, between the lugs 47 thereon, and is threaded into a tapped bore 53 in the index block 59. Washers 54 and 55 are preferably applied to the bolt 51. The index block 50 is secured to the front wall 11 of the topping machine 10 by bolts 56, in the manner shown in FIGURE 1.

The pleat board 13, in its normal inoperative position, inclines outwardly from the machine 10, in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 3, to be manipulated against the buck plate 12 by the handle 37 which, in the extended position shown in FIGURE 3, is biased by a coil spring 57, both ends 58 and 59 of which are extended, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 4. The spring 57 is arranged on a bushing 69 and a pin 61 traversing the lugs 47 through apertures 62 therein, as depicted in FIGURE 4. The end 58 of the spring 57 is anchored in an aperture 63 in the lower portion of one of the lugs 47 while the opposite end 59 is projected into an aperture 64 in the upper end of the arm 23, as shown in FIGURE 1.

The pleat board 13 can be pivoted to the position shown in broken lines in FIGURE 5 by rotating the assembly by the pivot block 43 against the index block 50 and frangibly retained by steel ball detents 65 under the tension of coil springs 66 within bores 67 in the inner face of the pivot block 43, as shown in dotted lines in FIG- URE 1, the balls 65 being adapted to seat themselves in conforming indentations 68 in the outer face of the index block 51). Such arrangement will enable the operator to swing the pleat board 13 out of the work area as desired.

In operation, the operator, by grasping the knob 69 on the handle 37, can depress the pleat board 13 against the work on the buck plate 12 from the position shown in FIGURE 3 to that shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 3, or swing the board 13 to the upper inoperative position shown in broken lines in FIGURE 5. The flexible connection of the board 13 with the lower end of the arm 23 enables the board to be evenly applied to the work. The spring 57 automatically disengages the board 13 from the work when the handle 37 is released. Pressure on the handle 37 should be applied for only a brief interval while the steam cycle is in operation in the topper machine 10. The invention is especially designed for the pressing of pleated trouser tops but obviously may be used equally effectively for smoothing out the fabric to produce a lustrous and attractive finish for the garment.

The invention, although described with great particularity, may be modified in various ways, by persons skilled in the art, without departing from the spirit and intent thereof or from the scope of the appended claim.

What is claimed is:

In combination with a trouser topping machine having a housing and a buck plate, arcuate in transverse section, depending from said housing, a pleat board and clamp assembly for operation in conjunction with said buck plate, the improvements comprising, an elongated plate contoured transversely to operatively conform to the said buck plate, an arm supporting said elongated plate having its outer end flexibly and pivotally attached to said elongated plate intermediate its ends, a circular pivot block secured to said housing and an index block pivotally secured to said pivot block about a first axis and having a pair of lugs extending from its outer face, the inner end of said arm being pivotally hinged between said lugs about a second axis perpendicular to said first axis, a handle for said elongated plate pivotally linked to said arm near the inner end thereof and having its said inner end pivotally secured between said lugs whereby said elongated plate is adjustable radially about said pivot block and with respect to said buck plate.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,830,393 4/1958 Frey 3860 2,931,546 4/1960 Brunier 223-73 2,956,714 10/1960 Rosenthal 22374 3,117,704 1/1964 McMillan 22373 JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Examiner. 

